Long Beach State loses overtime battle with UCSB in Big West opener

SANTA BARBARA — Gavin Sykes scored all 24 of his points after halftime, including a 3-pointer to force overtime, but Long Beach State lost to UC Santa Barbara, 84-77, in the Big West Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night at the Thunderdome.
Shaquil Bender added 19 points for Long Beach (2-7 overall, 0-1 Big West), while Petar Majstorovic added 12 points and two steals and Derrick Michael Xzavierro had eight points and 10 rebounds.
Aidan Mahaney had a game-high 26 points and si